Legacy
by Iwin Ulose
Summary: It's 16 years after the end of the Golden Age of Piracy. Nami's son, born with great promise and into a huge legacy, is inevitably tied with the past and soon finds himself on a quest to work out the dark history of the Pirate King and New World Order.
1. Mourning

**WARNING: Contains spoilers up to most recent chapters.**

**The idea for this story suddenly came to me after reading the first chapter after the timeskip. I've lacked motivation to write, but I really want to get this started. I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I might own the license for the word processor I used to write this story (not), but I certainly do not own One Piece or any of its original/canon characters.**

_"You've _come_ so far... partly from help of my own... but now, you lose it all."_

_The man to whom the disembodied voice is directed is breathing heavily as if in great pain... and terror._

_"Despite knowing the nature of the prize... and its rightful successor... I feel no remorse, no pity. Know that the help you received back then also had nothing to do with pity. I always knew that THIS is the end meant for you..."_

_The man in pain, whose mind does not seem to be truly his own, replies: "I guess I couldn't make it in the end... but I know someone who can. This isn't over..."_

_He feels the muscles of his mouth force themselves from a grimace to a wide smile. And then, he tumbles forward in the stark blackness of the world around him, and he feels soft, cold earth hit his face... Faint voices are heard all-_

"...up. Come on now, we have to go soon."

The boy's eyes snapped open to see his mother's face hovering over him, her slender hands gently shaking him from his slumber. Her eyes showed a sadness and expression of incomprehensible loss not unlike the feelings with which he had just woken up.

"Huh? Did I miss the alarm...?"

"No, hon." Her voice was somber, her face slightly pale.

He sat up in his bed, his head quickly exiting the world of his well-known recurring dream to enter a world of reality-based dread. "What is it, Mom?"

"It's... it's Rayleigh-san. He's dead."

* * *

The trip, despite the speed of the flying vehicle, was a long one. Besides the roar of the small jet's engine, the silence between the small number of passengers was heavy and oppressing. The boy kept his gaze on his feet. For once, he would have much rather been in school at the moment.

The boy's mother finally broke the vocal silence. "So, when exactly is the service?"

Apparently, it wasn't loud enough for the pilot. He pulled one end of his large headset away from his ear and glanced over his huge metallic shoulder and shouted, "Aaaaah? You say something, Nami?"

The boy allowed himself a small smile, eyes still fixed upon his feet. Franky had been the only one so far who seemed capable of keeping his spirits high despite the situation... although the boy knew quite well that the cyborg would be the one crying the hardest by far at the funeral.

"WHEN'S THE SERVICE!" Nami shouted, slightly irritated.

"Oh, tomorrow evening," the pilot answered, turning back to the main console. "Around 7, I think."

"And the funeral is the next day?"

"Yep. Kind of surprised the old guy wanted a funeral in the first place. He never seemed to care for publicity."

Nami smiled a little. "Well, that's why so few are invited. He's been mostly a hermit since the end of the Roger Pirates... and he was one of the very few surviving members. Not many know him on a personal level like us."

Franky's headset was on again. He turned to look at Nami again, one eyebrow sharply raised. "Aaaaaah?"

"DO YOU EVEN NEED THAT THING ON?" Nami screeched, smacking the back of his head.

The boy chuckled a little, causing his mother's attention to turn to him. Her enraged expression immediately softened to a concerned gaze. "Hey, you sure you're not hungry? We've got snacks; you haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

He shook his head, smile fading. "I'm good, thanks."

She reached over and lightly tousled his short, bright orange hair. "You okay? What's eating you? The dream?"

He was usually embarrassed when she brought that up, but he ignored it this time. "More than that..." He glanced up at her, his head still bowed a little from staring at his feet. "I just wish I had met him more than once. Rayleigh-san, I mean. He was... tightly connected with the crew, wasn't he?"

Nami stared at him for a second before turning her gaze to her own feet. "Yeah... he was. He did a lot for us back in the day." She sighed. "I'm sorry, hon, I wish you could've seen him more often... He was kind of hard to get a hold of."

The two sighed, and the heavy silence was back. Franky turned and glanced at them several times, each time with increasing anxiety. He finally burst, "YEAHHHH WE'RE ALMOST THERE! DRUM ISLAND AHEAD! GET THOSE HAPPY FACES ON FOR THE NEXT PASSENGERRRRR! YEEOW!"

* * *

"My God, how old are you now?"

"Sixteen..."

"Shit, time flies, huh!" The cook rubbed his chin thoughtfully, giving Nami's son an appraising look. "You need to get a little manlier, come on. Who's gonna protect Nami-san?"

Nami smacked him in the head. "That's enough, Sanji-kun. It's not like the poor kid doesn't get enough of that at school already."

The boy laughed sheepishly. He had to admit that Sanji's comment was warranted. According to those who had known his father, pretty much all of his physical traits were from Nami's side. He had a slender frame and a somewhat feminine face. If it weren't for his height, his clothes, and his short messy hair, his gender could almost be disputable. He stood at about six feet tall and usually wore a dark blue short-sleeved polo shirt with black jeans, a simple silver chain hanging from his neck.

The mood in the lobby of the Sabaody Grand Hotel was considerably lighter than the one in the Flying Franky 5. It was fun to watch the banter between the old members of the defunct Straw Hat Crew. Apparently, it was the closest they had ever come to being fully assembled since before the end of their Grand Line journey... and the end of the crew itself. The only two missing were Zoro, whose whereabouts had now been unknown for years, and, of course, the man who had founded and led the crew as the brave, powerful captain. Monkey D. Luffy was an enigma, his legacy without match. The last time anyone had seen his face marked the end of his crew and their world-changing journey... and the Golden Age of Piracy itself. All fully pardoned from all crimes, the remaining members went on to live their lives supported by seemingly endless wealth.

"Oi, Nami, your kid spaces out a lot..." Usopp grinned, reaching over to clap the boy on the shoulder and subsequently making him jump. "A little jumpy, too."

Brooke laughed. "Yohohoho! I, too, used to nearly jump out of my skin on a regular basis! But as you can see, I don't have to worry about THAT anymore... after it finally happened!"

Chopper gawked at him. "O-Out of your skin? I-I thought it was just a Devil Fruit..."

Crystal giggled. "Oh, Chopper-kun, how can you still be so gullible?"

The boy smiled sheepishly at Jinbe. "Haha, embarrassing, huh? Still easily startled despite Sensei's training..."

Jinbe's laugh was short and loud. "Not to worry, my dear student. Usopp-kun himself is considered a great warrior, and look how easily frightened _he_ is!"

Nami sharply raised a hand towards Usopp as if to slap him, making him cry out and flinch so hard that his chair toppled back. Everyone laughed as Chopper stared at Nami with frightened eyes. "S-scary!"

Usopp quickly righted himself, brushing dust off his sleeves. "It matters not, Chopper my friend... I am, after all, the Great Warrior Who Conquered Elbaf!" He sat back down and gave Nami a quick glance. "I just happen to owe her a whole lot of money," he mumbled.

The boy's smile slowly faded as the happy-go-lucky group went back to talking amongst themselves, discussing what they had been up to for the last few years. His thoughts wandered once more unbidden to his dark, disturbingly realistic dream... He wanted answers. He wanted to know why it was recurring and how to make it stop. He had a feeling he knew what it was about... but his mother wouldn't confirm anything, although he had yet to come forward and tell her straight out what he thought it was. He was admittedly afraid to do so. He didn't want to bring any more difficulty to his mother's life. There was more to that, too...

"Food's here, food's here!" Usopp and Chopper cheered.

Food servers laden with heavy silver platters made their way out of the kitchen attached to the private banquet hall the ex-pirates had rented out for themselves. They marched across the pristine red carpet to the hand-carved oak dining table and started carefully placing the steaming results of their hard work before the hungry patrons. The scent of various roasted meats filled the boy's nostrils and fueled a hunger he hadn't really noticed until now.

As the group started to eat, the boy once again noted the strange, almost guarded way most of the members ate, especially Usopp. The few times he had met them previously, he always noticed this oddity at mealtimes. Nico Robin was sitting next to the confused teenager, and she smiled as she noticed the look on his face.

"That's part of the 'legacy' our dear captain left behind..." she murmured.

The boy looked up at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"

She placed her chin in the palm of her hand, turning her warm smile toward Usopp and Chopper who both had one arm curled protectively around their plates as they shoveled in their dinner. She talked half to the boy, half to herself. "Even after all these years, the mark he left on us hasn't even begun to fade. It's a wonder, really."

Now the boy was confused more than ever. He looked back at Usopp, then at Robin, then back to Usopp again. "Was... was he paranoid about his food getting stolen?"

Robin laughed, brushing graying hair out of her eyes. "No, he made the _others_ paranoid. His appetite was impossibly huge. He could never get enough food. He would stretch his arms all over the table, trying to steal our food while we ate. The ensuing fights were always... amusing, although I'm sure not everyone shared that sentiment. It was especially frustrating to deal with after particularly draining and tiring days. He would always try, though, no matter what... sometimes even in his sleep. Hence the automatic defensive mechanism you see before you."

The boy sweatdropped. "That's... wow." He scratched his head. "Even in his sleep? How annoying!"

Sanji grunted. "You're telling _me_."

Franky looked up darkly. "Yeah, you have _no idea_."

There was some silence after that as they ate. The legendary sharpshooter broke the silence with a full mouth.

"Dith ith thum a da betht food I had in a nong dime," he noted with enthusiasm before swallowing and immediately shoveling in more food.

Crystal looked at him, amused. "I guess it's been too long since you've visited the restaurant, huh?"

Sanji glanced at the small woman sitting beside him and lifted a finger. "Now, Crystal, this food _is _pretty good. You have to give the chef credit for doing this well with inferior ingredients. You gotta keep in mind where we get our own supplies from when comparing our food to other establishments."

Crystal gave him a slightly surprised look. "Complimenting a chef? You only ever do that right before you recruit them."

The cook stood up. "That's right, my dear. I am about to go do just that. Excuse me."

"Careful, Sanji-kun," Nami said, smiling. "Don't give 'em a heart attack from the shock of being scouted by you."

Sanji promptly turned around and floated over to Nami on a cloud of pink hearts. "Nami-swaaaan~! I am but a humble servant before your angelic being! I cannot accept such praise!"

Nami's smile became annoyed. "Sure you can." She then kicked him straight through the doors leading to the kitchen. Her son looked on, slightly nonplussed. "Mom... isn't Crystal married to him?"

The mapmaker sighed. "Yeah, but some things just never change. He's always acted different with her."

The blonde in question glowered. "Indeed, some things never change... but they certainly get _old_." She looked decidedly more exasperated with her husband than angry or annoyed.

The rest of the meal went with little event, or whatever passed as "little event" for the rambunctious Straw Hats. The boy fleetingly wished he was part of such a tight-knit group of friends. Even though their reunion was occurring under some of the bleakest of circumstances, they still always seemed like they were having the time of their lives... his mother included.

* * *

"Come on, Mom, even now?"

"Yes, dear. You never know when you'll need to use it."

"But... I think I'm already pretty good at it!"

Nami smiled. "Yes, you are. There's always room for improvement, though. Now get ready."

He sighed, looked up at the clear night sky faintly illuminating the small grassy hotel courtyard, and began concentrating. He heard and felt his mother's rapid approach, bo staff in hand. He kept his gaze on the stars, occasionally magnified by the ever-present Sabaody bubbles, as the rapid barrage of attacks began. His body weaved in and out of the bo's blurred form as it repeatedly tried to land a hit on him from all different angles. His movements flowed as effortlessly as if he were made of liquid. He mildly noted how much less concentration he now needed than when he started a few years back. Modest as he was, he knew that this was no small feat; his mother's bo skills were famously top class. Kenbunshoku Haki was practically second nature to him at this point. Between intense martial arts training with Jinbe and Haki training with Nami, he was gradually becoming a fighting machine. The thing that bothered him about it, though, was the seeming lack of necessity; excluding a few bully encounters at school, life had been nothing but peaceful. He couldn't help but suspect that he was being prepared for something that he wasn't being told about. Whenever he questioned this, his mother would just feed him the usual "just in case" answer.

"Not bad," Nami calmly noted, not letting up even the slightest on her continuous attack. "I want you to counter now. Look for an opening and go for it."

His head still tilted slightly skyward, his body still weaving, he sharply brought his gaze down to his assailant's body. It took only a second to find an opening. He struck one end of the bo straight up with an upward open palm thrust, and all in one smooth motion, twisted his body and stepped forward, delivering another open palm strike to his mother's gut with his other hand. She took the hit and slid back several feet, scraping shallow trenches into the well-kept grass as she went, her head bowed. He kept his position, one open hand up in the air and the other extended in front of him, his knees bent and his right foot forward.

A few seconds after her slide came to a stop, Nami raised her head to face him with a grin. "Good job, kid."

He repositioned himself, bringing his legs together and standing straight up with his hands before him, palms pressed together. "Thank you." He bowed politely as Jinbe had taught him.

She inclined her head. "No problem... but no need to be formal with me, you know."

He glanced up at her from his bowing position. "You weren't going easy on me, were you?"

She laughed. "Actually... not really. You've improved. Luffy didn't teach me much, but it looks like you've already got it all." She put a hand on her hip. "I think you're even better than me."

He straightened and took on his usual relaxed posture, rubbing the back of his head with a slightly embarrassed grin. "Hehe, I don't really think so, but thanks."

Nami gave a small, almost concerned smile. "You gotta have a little more confidence in yourself... You have no reason at all for the poor self-image routine."

He looked away, feeling a bit uncomfortable with that particular subject. He had always been rather timid by nature. It wasn't really about poor self-image. Maybe it stemmed from something like that when he was younger, but he didn't really think there was a particular reason for it; it was just how he was. He sometimes felt like friends and family resented that, as if he was doing something wrong by not being outgoing and constantly social and always brimming with self-confidence. However, at the same time, he couldn't help but sometimes notice something tiny tugging at the back of his mind trying to tell him there _was _a reason for his timidity, something he was missing.

His thoughts were interrupted by his mother suddenly dropping down onto her bottom and sighing, her arms angled behind her and propping her up as she gazed at the stars.

"What's up, Mom?" He walked a little closer and sat down himself, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging and resting his chin on them. He gazed at her, her serene face palely lit by the soft light of the moon. "Training done already?"

"I guess I'm not really as into it as I thought."

He nodded slowly. "Understandable. This isn't some lighthearted vacation we're on, after all." He knew what it truly was, though. The mention of her old captain usually brought along with it a slight moment of depression, sometimes nearly unnoticeable, but always there. Rayleigh's death was weighing heavy on everyone's hearts, and that would only make other painful memories of the past even _more_ painful.

He didn't say more. They simply stared up in silence, perhaps attempting to seek solace in the solemn beauty of the giant mangrove archipelago's night sky. Earlier that day, he had experienced an odd feeling that something big was going to happen soon. He hadn't thought much of it, but that feeling returned now. He gazed intently at the Big Dipper as if trying to squeeze an answer out of it. He didn't know it yet, but that big event was to come two days from that night, and it would change his life in the biggest way.

* * *

"What took you guys so long? I don't have all DAY, you know!"

Nami's jaw dropped. "W-What are you doing here? And why are you the _first_ one here?"

The clown pirate Buggy narrowed his eyes. "I just wanna get this over with. With this, I think I can finally cut off my ties with the Roger Pirates completely. It's always been an annoying link to the past..." He crossed his arms and looked away.

Nami's startled face gave way to a soft smile. "You care, don't you?"

"AAH? What are you talking about?"

She gave him a slightly sly look. "I can see past your tough guy act. You hate your history with that crew... but you've always looked up to Rayleigh-san as an inspiration and an idol, haven't you?"

"I-Inspiration? IDOL? That guy was THE MOST ANNOYING PART of that crew! Well... at least second to Red Hair."

Nami's son had to stifle a chuckle at the clown's obvious overreaction. It was clear that his mother's analysis was spot on.

"Oh, what are _you _laughing at?" Buggy spat.

Nami put her hand on the boy's shoulder and led him past the pirate, waving her other hand nonchalantly. "Just ignore him, hon. He's just a big baby."

They left Buggy spluttering in indignation as they walked up to the casket. They gazed down solemnly at its occupant. Even in death, he had about him the look of reliability, of power, of deep knowledge. Even in death, he was someone to look up to and someone to respect. It was still rather surreal to gaze at the still face of the seafaring legend and realize that he would never again open those sharp eyes, never again give needed advice with a gruff yet friendly smile.

Nami sighed and turned away, walking to the nearest bench and sitting heavily on it. She sighed as he joined her. "I'll be glad when this is over," she mumbled. He silently put an arm around her shoulders and her head slumped against him, a pouty expression on her face. "I'm not really good with this whole death thing."

"It's okay, Mom, we're almost done. Funeral today, home tomorrow." She gave a little nod in response.

The last two days had gone by quickly. He smiled a little at the memory of the wake from the previous night. It had ended up being pretty fun. It was the nature of the good-willed pirates that Rayleigh had been associated with; these people didn't look at wakes and funerals as nothing more than a pure celebration of life, and celebrating was one of their specialties. There had been tears, of course, but they were quickly lost in the raucous upbeat mood. The funeral, he knew, would be a little different. Final goodbyes could only be so cheerful, especially when they were for someone as influential as the Dark King.

The small group of attendees steadily flowed in, and soon, the procession was ready to begin. The gravesite wasn't far, and so the procession was on foot. There were only two pallbearers: Red-Haired Shanks taking the front of the casket and another pirate originally from Roger's crew bringing up the rear. She had introduced herself simply as Fan, and none of the Straw Hats seemed to know anything about her. She had dull, graying blond hair and an intense sadness in her face, the depth of which Nami's son could not even begin to fathom.

A large tent made of Sabaody's resin awaited them, decorated with cheerfully colored streamers. It looked more like shelter for a big celebratory picnic than a gravesite. The boy had to place a hand over his eyes to shield them from the bright morning sun as he surveyed the scene. Beneath the edge of the tent, a simple podium stood in front of Rayleigh's freshly-dug resting place. The small group gathered before it as a black-haired woman slowly walked up to stand behind it. For a second, he couldn't remember who she was, but it came to him quickly; it was Shakuyaku, owner of Shakky's Rip-Off Bar. As the group gathered, he ended up standing next to his mother with Franky at his other side, who was already dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief.

She cleared her throat. "Well, thanks for coming, everyone. Welcome to the funeral of this weak, unforgiveable bastard."

The boy's eyes widened, but then everyone else cheered or laughed.

"Dark King, my ass. He gave out under the pressure of this illness... one that was not quite unlike the same his captain suffered all those years ago. Not quite unlike the illness that drove Roger to take over the Grand Line. In fact... that was right around the time our friend here contracted it."

There were surprised looks all round. Apparently, this was news to all but Shakky.

"I couldn't tell you if the disease was exactly the same... It's highly likely that Roger had a much more extreme mutation or something of the sort. However, the end result would be the same for Rayleigh, and he knew this. But he felt he had too much to do. He felt he had a duty in taking a part in the ushering in of the new Pirate King and the new era that King would bring, a King that Roger himself would approve of and be proud of. Through sheer force of will, he kept the terminal illness at bay until the day the world was in a state in which he felt he could finally put his guard down. However... the Pirate King that came to be, the new era this new King ushered in, did _not _ease Rayleigh. It brought an abrupt end to the Golden Age of Piracy, an end that some feel was too soon."

The boy looked around again. There were many stern faces, dark looks.

"As everyone here probably agrees, Trafalgar Law should _not_ have become Pirate King, not with what he's done to the world. We are in the minority, however; most just say that the better man won, that Luffy-chan was simply unable to best him, and that's that."

The boy didn't even have to look at his mother to know the hurt expression on her face.

"That said, Rayleigh still hadn't lost hope. He knew Law and his New World Order could be taken down, and so he kept fighting for the last sixteen years." She shrugged. "In the end, though, there was only so much he could do. I'm sure his age didn't help much. Not everyone can age as gracefully as myself."

Some grins and even a catcall. She gave a wink at that. The boy couldn't help but smile.

"Now... a proper burial is a little unusual for a pirate, mostly because the 'authorities' don't approve. But there have been notable exceptions... Whitebeard and Portgas D. Ace lie not far from here." She turned and gave the casket a slight smile. "This guy didn't care what we did with him, though. I pointed out to him that he hadn't left any instructions when he let me read his will, and he just shrugged. 'Do what you see fit. Who am I to decide my own fate?' So there you have it, folks. You can blame _me_ for this awkward little social gathering." She paused for the laughter. "However, I have no regrets, and I hope none of you do. I don't think he does, either. Even though he ended up dying before he wanted to, he knew that still didn't change the fact that Law's world _will _end, as all corruption must. For anyone who might doubt this, take a better look at his face. That is not the face of a man who died with regret. It is relieved, yet stern. He is relieved knowing the one to step up and reshape the world once more, this time for the better, is coming. He is stern towards his enemies and those that would stand in the way. That stern face is the same face that made his countless opponents in the past piss themselves in the midst of battle, and it is the face that assures us he will keep close watch on us all, even now, friends and enemies alike.

"And now, I end on a more personal note..." She fully faced the casket now. "Arigato, Uchi no Hito. You were truly the best business partner I could have ever asked for." She inclined her head towards him, and then turned and walked from the podium. The applause was mostly drowned out by Franky and Brook who were busy outrageously bawling and clinging tightly to each other. The boy absently pat Franky's back, wiping away a tear or two himself. He felt kind of silly to be reacting in such a way, having met Rayleigh only twice in his life. He supposed it was just seeing the profound effect Rayleigh had on everyone else that was getting to him.

The group quieted down a bit as Shanks took the podium. The legendary ex-Yonkou had an eye patch over his scarred left eye, shoulder-length red hair, and a light beard. He had in his hand a small scroll which he now laid out flat on the podium's surface. He scratched his head as he looked down at it.

"Well, uh, there isn't much here..." He looked up at the crowd suddenly. "Oh yeah, sorry, I'm looking at his will here. I'll read it to you." He cleared his throat.

"I, Silvers Raleigh, am of sound mind and memory and declare that this is my last will and testament. This last will and testament expresses my wishes without undue influence or duress. I hereby appoint Shakuyaku as my Executor. If this Executor is unable or unwilling to serve then I appoint Red-Haired Shanks as alternate Executor. My Executor shall be solely responsible for execution of this last will and testament.

"I hereby bequeath the remainder of my estate, property and effects, whether movable or immovable, wheresoever situated and of whatsoever nature to..."

His intense gaze fell on the orange-haired boy standing near the rear of the group, startling him. "...Eldest Son of the late "Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy...

"Monkey D. Sabo, of Cocoyashi Village!"

**In a world of too many distractions and sometimes not enough inspiration, reviews are my primary drive to continue. Please let me know how you like it so far and whether or not I should keep going!**


	2. Inheriting

**So, I didn't do a complete proofreading... Too impatient and excited to get this published! Enjoy!**

All eyes were turned on Monkey D. Sabo now. The tall, orange-haired teenager felt more or less frozen. Why him? Just because he was Luffy's son? Just because Luffy was once Rayleigh's pupil? He suddenly felt slightly weak in the knees. He couldn't even _begin_ to imagine what all of the "estate" of "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh would exactly entail.

He looked over at Shakky, the Executor. She was smiling at him. He figured he'd find out soon enough.

"That's... incredible," Nami whispered. "You just obtained quite the wealth." Sabo wasn't quite sure what to say in response.

Shanks cleared his throat, immediately bringing everyone's attention back to him. "He left a final note as well...

"'Sabo, friends, please do not let the world sit as it is. Law has started something worse than the World Government ever was. Pirates didn't meddle in the affairs of the revolutionaries... but now that the Golden Age has abruptly ended, we _all_ must be revolutionaries. This 'New Era'... this 'New World Order'... do NOT let them abolish our age of dreams! As long as there are those who dream... the world can only grow! It can only improve! There are many dangerous, powerful people who are blind to this. Their eyes need to be opened... one way or another. Follow in the fiery wake of the Will of D!'"

Even Franky's tears were mostly silenced by these emboldening final words. Mention of the Will of D in particular seemed to strike a chord in the group. Their faces were set, some of them matching Shanks's own serious gaze. The Will of D had yet to be fully explained to Sabo, but he understood the gravity of it, the heavy importance he had inherited. His own gaze was less intense and more pensive as he stared at the coffin without really seeing it. He was finally starting to understand what all of his training was for. Thinking on it, he now realized he had always somehow known that it would all come down to that D in his name.

It was time for him to pick up where his father left off. He wasn't even sure what that exactly meant, but he knew he was going to know real soon, and he couldn't help but feel a slight thrill of excitement course through his body at the thought.

* * *

"U-Under the bar?" Sabo exclaimed.

"That's right," Shakky assured him, leading him to a back room of her very own Rip-Off Bar. "We got a secret trapdoor back here..."

"But... but Sabaody isn't made of earth! We're on top of trees...!"

She looked back at him, a grin on her face. "It took him years of work, but he hollowed out a big chunk of this tree and made a small tunnel leading to a storage area."

Sabo scratched his head. That was a pretty clever place to hide your wealth... and even if it wasn't, who would really feel brave enough to challenge the Dark King for it?

"Well, here we are. Wait by the door."

He watched as she walked to the far side of the room. It looked like a simple storage room with a few barrels and crates lining the walls. A simple dark red rug lay in the middle of the room. She lifted the rug covering the wooden floor and tossed it over to the side. She then stomped on one end of one of the floorboards. It fell through the floor as its other end shot up. She then grabbed the now-vertical plank by its center and gave it a hard, upward yank. Sabo's curious eyes went wide as a large portion of the room's floorboards lifted out of the floor like one huge lid. With a small grunt, she shifted the makeshift door over a few feet and let it fall to rest on the floor. Dust billowed all around, causing Sabo to turn his head away and cough. He waved his hand around to ward off dust as he approached the opening. Shakky was standing on the other side of it, hands on her hips and a small smile still on her face.

"Okay," she said, bringing her gaze to the dark hole before her. "See you down there." And then, with a small wave, she simply stepped forward and fell.

"What the-?" He dropped to his hands and knees and stared down the deep darkness. It was impossible to tell how far it went. There was no ladder or anything of the sort. "HEY!" he called. There was no answer. A few moments later, he heard the faint echo of his call reach him. He stood up and stepped back a little, sweatdropping. "Uh... my turn, I guess. If she can do it without getting killed, I probably can, too." And with that, he took the leap of faith.

He realized as he reached the exhilarating and, in the pitch blackness, terrifying speed of extended free fall that he really had no way of knowing whether she was killed or not.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

A few moments later, there was suddenly light below. He wasn't far at all from the bottom.

"Shit, shit! Haki! HAKI!"

He yelled it like an incantation for some sort of spell. His mother didn't know much about Busoshoku Haki, and so by extension, neither did he. For that instant, though, his prowess and understanding of it suddenly increased exponentially, probably as a last second effort to save himself. He felt the willpower gather about him, and his flailing free-falling body bounced ridiculously off the surface, which didn't give or even crack in the slightest. He gave a loud, painful grunt when he bounced, but then his mind was wiped clear of all thoughts of Haki and he finally came to a rest facedown on the cold yet smooth wood of the inside of the giant tree.

"Oooooh..."

Shakky stood over his groaning prone form, face lit with amusement. "Very graceful. Rayleigh would be proud."

Without lifting his face from the floor, he raised his hand and waved it at her vaguely. "Oh shut up."

She offered her hand down to him. "Come on, Sabo-chan, our travels aren't over yet."

He grabbed it and got to his feet slowly. He looked around as he dusted himself off. It was a small, cool and dry space with a few lit torches sitting in brackets on the walls. He couldn't help but glance up. As he feared, he couldn't even make out a speck of light from the entrance.

"How the hell are we supposed to get back up there?"

His companion simply shrugged and pointed ahead of them. "Let's not worry about that right now. Come on, we have some walking to do."

She was pointing down a pathway that was as dark as the long drop he had just taken. His heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered why they were here, and his disdain was quickly replaced with excitement. Whatever Rayleigh had left him at the end of this tunnel would be his now. He had a feeling that the Dark King had had more than just mere treasure in his possession.

Shakky continued lighting torches along their way. After a few moments of walking, Sabo suddenly shot Rayleigh's Executor a suspicious look. "You've never been in here, have you?"

"Nope," she replied, lighting another torch. "Had I hinted otherwise?"

"Yeah... yeah, I think you did." He crossed arms and turned his head away from her in mock anger. "Hmph!"

She laughed at him. "Oh, you big baby."

He gave her a sideways smile, arms still crossed. "So you just looked down that hole and jumped without even know how deep it went?"

She nodded. "Pretty much. I suspect he made it this deep so that any normal person trying to get down here would die from the fall."

"Interesting way of thinking... He could've put some spikes on the bottom or something instead of making it so deep."

She frowned. "But then one of us might've died."

He looked at her. "Well, how did you prepare yourself for hitting the bottom? It was way too dark!" Then, as an afterthought, "And how were you able to see the torches to light them?"

"I can see incredibly well in the dark. It hardly affects my sight."

They reached the end of the short tunnel, so he didn't question further. They had come to a makeshift room that was a little bigger than the one they had landed in. This one, unlike the entrance, was circular. Shakky walked around and lit the various torches distanced equally along the wall as Sabo looked around. There were many simple crates stacked in this room. The ceiling was quite high, and some of the stacks almost reached it. He walked up to one of the smaller stacks. One odd thing he noted was the almost complete lack of dust despite this place supposedly being untouched for years. Maybe it was because of how far this room was from the outer atmosphere. If that was the case, then exactly how much _air_ was down here...?

This slightly disturbing thought was suddenly interrupted by a sudden threatening presence appearing behind him. Kenbunshoku Haki kicked in full force, and he tilted his head to avoid the knife aimed at it by an inch. He saw with a jolt that a gloved hand was attached to the knife. He slowly turned as the disembodied hand wrenched the knife from the crate it had embedded itself in and flew back to its owner.

"Buggy-chan, huh?" Shakky was at Sabo's side, her hands on her hips. "I thought you had become a decent guy..."

Buggy stepped forward into more direct torchlight. His hand reattached and he pulled out more knives. He was in his full pirate captain attire now, his face split with a large smirk. "What do ya mean, decent guy?" he crowed. "I'm a decent _pirate_, and all decent pirates love treasure! Gyahahaha!"

"Even when taking that treasure goes against the will of the Dark King?" Sabo suggested darkly. He was angry this clown had come down to interrupt them. He was also wary; he knew this man was a very experienced Devil Fruit user.

"Aw, he's dead, what's _he _gonna do?" Buggy took a step forward, boring his eyes into Sabo's. "I'd be more worried about what _you're_ gonna do... son of Straw Hat."

"An act of revenge, eh?" Shakky muttered. She suddenly jumped away from Sabo to the other side of the room. She sat down on a crate and gave him a wave. "Good luuuuck."

Sabo's eyes popped out of his head as he yelled in disbelief. "WHAT THE HELL? I CAN'T FIGHT HIM BY MYSELF!"

However, he quickly ceased his antics to dodge a Bara Bara Cannon. "Tch... I might get killed, but fine. This is my first real fight... I better make Sensei and Mother proud!"

He dashed forward but was forced into a quick retreat by a double Bara Bara Cannon. Buggy then leapt forward with his legs spinning at an extreme speed, the knives sticking out of his shoes effectively turning the lower half of his body into a giant buzzsaw. He repeatedly attempted to thrust this at Sabo, making him jump back to dodge each time until his back was against the wall. Just as Buggy was about to slice him, he disappeared, making his detached legs cut into and get stuck in the living wood of the wall. The clown looked behind him and separated his torso in half with a cry of surprise to dodge Sabo's powerful punch. "Well, aren't you quick on your feet!" Buggy taunted, his divided torso levitating beyond Sabo's reach. "I didn't even see how you got behind me!"

Sabo ignored him and stepped up to Buggy's legs lodged in the wall. He attempted to deliver a powerful chop, but the legs detached from the feet and joined the rest of Buggy's body up in the air. Sabo then reached for his feet, but a reassembled Buggy flew into his back with a powerful midair tackle. "Gah..!" All the air was knocked out of the teenager as he was slammed into the wall. He fell to one hand and knee, coughing from the shock.

"_Ow, that hurt..." _he thought. _"Shit... I'm in real danger here... but I can't help but notice... how exhilarating this is! I don't want to lose!"_

Haki allowed him to sense the next attack, and he rolled out of the way as Buggy's hand dug into the spot he was just kneeling on with its four knives. He quickly got up, dodging five knives and catching the last three. He threw them down as Buggy drew more knives to replace them.

"Let's see your fancy Haki deal with _this_!" Buggy leapt forward, a huge crazed grin on his face, and then split into countless tiny pieces. "BARA BARA FESITVAL!"

His body parts, along with the knives, flew around like a vicious tornado. Haki could do nothing to help dodge an attack like this, and so Sabo got caught in its fury. He felt the stings of the knives before lifting up his arms to protect his face and forcing himself out of the whirlwind with a burst of all the speed and force he could muster. He skid to a stop before a stack of crates. Buggy's feet, still planted on the floor, started to approach him, and with them, the Festival attack. Sabo quickly grabbed up a stack of the large wooden containers and threw them into the whirlwind of body parts. The knives lodged themselves into the wood, and the heavy crates landed on his feet, burying them.

"YEEOW!" Most of Buggy's body reassembled as he began pulling the crates off his feet.

"_This is it! If I don't finish this in one hit, I'll never get another chance like this!"_ Sabo leapt forward, and Buggy turned to see it coming, but it was too late.

"SENMAIGAWARA SEIKEN!"

The punch strong enough to break one thousand tiles hit Buggy directly in the stomach. "U-UAAAGHHH!" His body became a blur as it flew through several crates and into the cavern's wall. A shower of gold and jewels partially buried him. Sabo then picked up the clown's feet and threw them as far as he could down the hall leading back to the entrance. With his feet way out of his power's field of effect, Buggy could no longer levitate, rendering him largely motionless.

"You... you bastard..." Buggy coughed.

Sabo walked up to him, then bent his knees to lower himself low to the floor. He laughed. "That's it? Your power is too easy to mess up! I probably never would've beaten you if you hadn't bothered with that dumb Festival move!"

"Aw, shut up," Buggy pouted, looking away from the young rookie who had just beaten him. "Just... just go get my feet."

Sabo laughed again. "Are you kidding?" He stood back up to his full height and crossed his arms as he looked down at his fallen opponent. "You'll have to at _least_ do a little work for me to get those back."

Shakky walked over with a small box in her hands. "Oh, good job, Sabo-chan," she told him. She sounded slightly surprised.

"AND YOU!" Sabo yelled, rounding on her instantly. "I'M JUST A KID WITH PRACTICALLY ZERO FIGHTING EXPERIENCE! HOW DID YOU EXPECT ME TO BEAT HIM?"

The ex-pirate blinked as if confused. "Well... you _did_, didn't you?"

Sabo's palm slapped his face in exasperation. "Yeah... but that's not the point..."

She shoved the box she was holding into his hands. "Here, forget about that unimportant stuff. Look at what's in there. I found it during your cute little fight."

He stared at her for a moment. "You weren't even _watching_? You really didn't care if I died or not, did you?"

She simply smiled and beckoned at him to open the box.

He sighed and looked at it. It looked pretty small and insignificant. It was a simple wooden chest with hinges. He popped it open and peered inside. There was a simple piece of paper rolled up and tied neatly at the center with blue string. Curious, he plucked it from its resting place and untied it.

"Hurry up!" Buggy snapped. "Being covered in all this treasure I can't have... it's... it's ruining my _soul_."

Sabo completely ignored him as he unraveled the paper. It was a note with neat, scrawling handwriting that didn't look familiar to him. More specifically, it was a letter addressed to him.

His legs suddenly weak, he sunk onto a crate, his eyes never leaving the paper. He couldn't believe it. Had Rayleigh really been holding onto this for all this time?

_Dear Sabo or daughter,_

_Hey what's up? Don't be tricked by the handwriting; it's Rayleigh's since I don't really know how to! When you get the chance, thank him again for helping me with this. It's a really important note that I actually hope you'll never read. Because if you do, that means I'm gone. And while that's cool with me, I know it must suck for you, and I am sorry for that. Sometimes, though, death is unavoidable and you just gotta accept that you tried your best and that's that!_

_So I'll try to keep this short. I don't know the state of the crew or the world, but I know this: if I lose this upcoming fight, Law will become Pirate King, and I have a really bad feeling about him. The few times I met him, he was a cool guy, but somewhere back there he has a dark purpose. I can't explain it, you just get a feeling sometimes, ya know? I think I'll win, but you never know. The rest of the crew should be fine either way, though... so I know Nami has raised you and brought you to Rayleigh-san for this letter now that you're old enough. I don't know how you feel about being a pirate (I hope you want to because it's sooo awesome and full of adventure!), but I gotta ask you a favor._

_I want you to return my straw hat to Shanks as I promised to him I would once I became the Pirate King. I guess normally I'd make Zoro do it for me, since he's the first mate and all, but now that I know I'm gonna have a kid, I think I wanna leave it to you and give you a chance to help me out. But this is the important part: you gotta keep the promise! That's right; you can't give Shanks the hat until you become the Pirate King! Now, if you don't want to be a pirate, PLEASE don't worry about it... In fact, I think I'm gonna tell Rayleigh to not let you know about this letter unless you do. I dunno, but if you see this somehow and you don't wanna be a pirate, that's fine! Zoro can do it, or any of my nakama that are still around. Oh, and I guess you don't have to worry about it if the hat's destroyed or something. _

_Do me another favor, though... If Law ends up doing bad things and oppresses innocent people, do what you can to help! You'll be strong, I know it, and you should use your power to help when you can. _

_Don't forget, though... no matter what you do, I'll always be proud of you! Nami and me both! Love you!_

_Luffy, Future Pirate King_

He didn't even feel the tears as they made their inevitable appearance. He accidentally let one drop hit the paper before quickly moving it out of harm's way and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

Shakky placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sabo-chan... Your mom probably wouldn't have approved of you seeing this letter, but Rayleigh wanted you to see it as soon as possible." She paused for a moment. "You know, you don't-"

"I'm doing it." His fierce eyes, still shining with tears, locked onto hers. "Of course I am. It doesn't matter what Mom says."

The bar owner gave a slow nod and kicked Buggy as he started to whine again.

"So..." Sabo sniffed and wiped his eyes one last time, looking at the letter again with purpose. "Where's his hat?"

Shakky looked down. It was the first time he had ever seen her look uncomfortable or unsure. "Well... that's the thing, honey. As far as we all know... Law still has it."

* * *

The moving process went pretty well. The Bara Bara no Mi's levitation ability allowed Buggy to lift loads of any weight with ease. It took him a long time to finish the job, though. One thing Sabo noted with some annoyance during the process, though, was the fact that the whole surprise attack was mostly just an act. He caught Shakky having a muttered conversation with the clown at one point, one they quickly ended upon seeing Sabo turning the corner. Also, Buggy didn't come across to the teenager as an honorable guy... What would stop him from finishing what he had started now that he had his feet back? Sabo never got to find out for sure whether or not the attempt on his life was real; as soon as the moving work was done, Buggy was gone.

Since there was no way to get all of those crates home, Sabo and Nami awaited Franky to come back to Shabaody with the larger Flying Franky 7, a cargo jet. He told them it would take a few days, but he assured them with a big Franky thumbs-up that he would get back as super fast as he could.

During the days of waiting, the other funeral attendees gradually made their exits one by one. The first to leave was Chopper, who was hitching a ride with Franky as he went back to get the cargo jet. Usopp was next later that day. He anxiously told them that he needed to get back to his hometown of Syrup Village as soon as possible. Sabo wondered what was wrong, but Nami had a knowing twinkle in her eye. The last to go was Jinbe.

"I will see you back at Cocoyashi," he rumbled in his usual polite way, clapping Sabo on the shoulder. "I am proud of you for defeating someone as experienced as Buggy the Clown, but you and I definitely have some more work to do."

"Yes, Sensei... I'm looking forward to it," Sabo replied with a bow.

This left Sabo and Nami to be alone as they awaited Franky's return. He wanted to let her know he found the letter – she must have known it was somewhere in Rayleigh's treasure stash – but he remembered Shakky's words about how she probably wouldn't approve, so he couldn't bring himself to say it. It was probably best to wait until they were home, anyway, giving everything from the trip a chance to wind down before giving his mother the next big surprise. Maybe she'd be perfectly fine with it... Yeah, sixteen was a bit young, but there had been lots of young pirates in the Golden Age, and he had been enduring training since early on in his youth.

Oh, but he would need a crew. _'Hmmmm... I already have a couple ideas for that, but I'll have to make sure I have _something_ before I try to tell Mom about it...'_

Also... where would he get a boat? And what would be his initial course and plan of action? These were all things he really wanted his mother's help on, so he hoped she would cooperate.

It wouldn't stop him from going even if she didn't, though. He was set on this.

Time dragged a bit after Jinbe left. The mother and son pair wandered Sabaody Park, but the cheerful mood all around them didn't really seem to penetrate. The attractions were as entertaining as ever, but the general mood for the two was rather subdued. Every once in a while, though, she would point at something and laugh as she related a memory of the Straw Hat Crew's first visit here. These moments brought genuine, glowing smiles to her face, and he found them momentarily contagious.

Despite its slow movement, the time did pass, and relatively early the next morning, Franky returned in his freight jet. Sabo and Nami, along with the stacks of crates the hotel employees helped them move, stood by the private runway situated not far from the Grand Hotel and watched as the cyborg's plane touched down and came to a smooth stop.

"Hey," Nami greeted him as he jumped out. "Chopper's home safe?"

"Of course he is, what'd you expect?" Franky replied.

She and Sabo walked up to the side of the plane to join its owner. A platform attached to a ramp was slowly lowering beneath the Flying Franky, revealing a large opening in the underside. This, Sabo assumed, was the cargo bay. Nami looked up at Franky, a sober expression on her face. "I mean... how's he doing? He seemed pretty sad."

Franky shrugged. "The little guy's always been a little emotional, right?" He patted his old nakama on the shoulder. "He's doing fine, I promise. Send him a letter when you get home, he'll be thrilled." He smiled and then turned to walk up the ramp into the cargo bay. He came back down towing what looked like a huge hand truck with three long steel prongs holding up a large wooden pallet. He gave Sabo a grin. "Well, let's get loading!"

Nami went back to the hotel to fetch a few of the last things they had left behind as the two men worked. When she came back, she was accompanied by Shakky.

"Ah, Shakky-san," Sabo greeted with a smile. "Come to see us off?"

"Yep." She dropped a few bags she was holding. "I was helping out Nami-chan a bit, too."

Nami walked over to Franky to talk to him about something. Sabo and Shakky turned to face each other.

"Thanks," Sabo said. "Thanks for bringing me there."

The bar owner shrugged. "Don't bother thanking me. It's what Rayleigh's final will tasked me with. I didn't really have a choice..." She gave him a mischievous look. "And besides, I didn't even help with Buggy."

Sabo's face darkened a little at that. "Yeah... but I wanted to ask you something about that. Was Buggy's attack and all that-"

"Staged?" she finished for him. She gave a slight grin. "I don't know, I guess it was supposed to be. I felt some killing intent in his attacks, though, so... in the end, who really knows?" She shrugged again, grin still in place, and she picked up the bags she was carrying and headed over to the plane, leaving Sabo to scratch his head in confusion.

* * *

The trip back home took a little longer in the larger Flying Franky 7. Sabo spent most of it falling in and out of sleep. He never really reacted well to getting up early.

This left Nami to her own thoughts.

Her mind was once again lost in the past. It had been great seeing her old nakama again. In the grand scheme of things, sixteen years wasn't that long ago... but it felt like a lifetime to her. She hated the fact that thoughts of the past... thoughts of Luffy... brought sadness. She felt selfish allowing herself depression, knowing that everyone else in the crew had had to suffer their precious captain's loss as well. They had all moved on with their lives, went on to do big things. Just look at Usopp! He was now every bit as impressive as Zoro and Sanji ever were. Deep down, he had always wanted to surpass his father, not just be like him, and she believed he had done just that. Sanji, having discovered All Blue when the crew got close to Raftel, finally found a woman to settle down with in Crystal, and the couple married and started the world's most famous restaurant, boasting ingredients straight from the wondrous sea he had dreamed about his entire life. Brook had continued his incredible career of being a worldwide musical sensation, and it was impossible to flip through a magazine or glance at a newspaper without seeing his face. He toured the world atop his best friend, Laboon, the whale's cavernous inside chambers his permanent mobile home. Chopper had returned to Drum Island and became the world's most renowned doctor, being the only doctor to find the cure for the horrifically virulent West Red Plague, a disease that had begun ripping apart civilization across the Four Blues near the end of the Straw Hats' journey. People all across the world traveled to Drum Island for extreme medical needs... and at a low price; the vast majority of his income came from Rumble Ball sales. Chopper took in some doctors willing to learn under him, and he now had a mobile team, co-managed by Kureha, that he could dispatch to areas worldwide that desperately needed help and had no means to travel long distance. Two years after the end of the crew's journey, Zoro hunted down Mihawk and killed him in a fair, all-out duel of blades and pride. The battle famously lasted for weeks, and Zoro probably would've died at the end, too, if Chopper hadn't heard the news and come to the deserted island to await the end of the fight and treat his wounds.

Nami looked over at the pilot of their plane. When the crew broke up, Franky went back to his Family at Water 7 and merged their disassembly company with Galley-La, creating the world's most lucrative seafaring vehicle production company. Of course, he had also built several flying machines... but he had yet to sell any, and he may never decide to do so.

She turned her gaze down to her feet. What had _she_ done? Yeah, she completed her map to Raftel... but it wasn't even a true map of the _whole_ world. She returned to Cocoyashi to raise the child Luffy had left her, and that was it. Raising his son was indeed a great task, a great accomplishment, but she felt like she hadn't even gone about _that_ correctly. She let the memory of Luffy, the one man she ever truly loved, get to her too often. She would never, ever say it out loud, but sometimes just looking at Sabo would bring unbidden memories and sadness. She was weak-minded and unsure of herself. At the same time, she was starting to realize just how attached to her son she was. She felt like he was all that she had left in her life, and watching him grow into the fine young man he was becoming was painful. How soon was the day he would go out on his own... and possibly try to continue his father's quest? She knew she wouldn't be able to stop him once he was an adult...

She glanced over at her kid's face, her kid that shared her hair color and his father's strength. His sleeping face calmed her, and a gentle smile crept onto her own. Mulling over her thoughts, she felt dangerously close to becoming a wreck, if she wasn't one already. She needed to get a hold of herself, for her son's sake... and for Luffy's.

* * *

"Superrrr, that's the last of 'em!" Franky stood by Sabo, hands on his hips, admiring their handiwork. All the crates were now stacked in the voluminous basement of the Cocoyashi Mansion. "Mansion" was a bit of an overstatement, but it _was_ rather large and it stood on the highest point in that region of Commi Island, making it a visible landmark to all in Cocoyashi and even in some areas of Gosa Village.

Sabo turned and shook the cyborg's hand, grinning. "Thanks a lot, Franky. We would've been screwed if it weren't for you!"

Franky laughed sheepishly as Nami came down the steps. She clapped and rubbed her hands together, an old familiar gleam in her eye. "There should be an appraiser coming in a couple of days to help me with all this... We'll know your worth soon enough, kid."

Sabo smiled as he secretly clutched the most important treasure of the whole stash folded neatly in his pocket. He felt nervous, yet giddy with anticipation to get started. He wanted to tell her that night, but he figured he'd try to get some form of a crew together first along with a starting plan...

* * *

With Franky gone, the mother and her son unpacked and sat down to a simple dinner. They were exhausted and drained both physically and emotionally, so no one was willing to do any serious cooking or cleaning. They ate in silence.

He was dying to tell her about the letter... She was praying for him to stay home.

He longed to follow in his father's footsteps... She longed to see him one more time.

His mind was full of the future... Her mind was full of the past.

Night came fast, and so to bed they went.

He dreamt of chilling disembodied voices and the taste of dirt.

She dreamt of youth... and his touch.

**Yea? Nay? What do you people think? Let me know!**

**Unfortunately for my already-poor updating speed, I've gotten back into MapleStory, so... we'll see how quick the next chapter comes out.**

**NOTE: Please be aware that the story will be rated M starting next chapter. There will be lemony stuff on more than one occasion.**


	3. Recruiting

**This story was originally rated T, but it has been changed to M for adult themes in this and future chapters. **

**I have yet again failed to do a complete proofreading. I am always too impatient. :P Enjoy the update!**

_The room is mostly shrouded in darkness. A single flickering torch isn't much to see by, but it's enough._

_The ship isn't empty, and it's not docked. They are being gently rocked by the open sea, and the others are above, not far at all._

_Matters such as these, however, become trivial in light of the flame of passion. In fact, Nami is sure such factors of risk only make it burn hotter. Her captain is currently committing nothing short of grand arson in that respect, and she has no desire to try to put it out. _

_His hands have become hot coals, lighting aflame every inch of bare skin they touch, and bare skin she currently has in abundance. His roaming hands finally remove the final piece of the annoying barrier between his touch and her needy body, and she suppresses the moan trying to escape her as his fingers come in contact with this newly uncovered area. Vocal suppression rapidly becomes more difficult as his mouth and tongue, infinitely hotter and more intense than his hands, fall upon her chest in sync with the movement of his fingers. He handles her with such surprising expertise, forceful yet tender, teasing yet fulfilling. This isn't their first time, but she knows it must be some sort of wild instinct; there's no way with his perceived innocence and naivety that this comes from experience. He was this good even the very first time._

_Their eyes meet, his mouth still working vigorously on her intensely sensitive nipple, the ample swell of her breast doing little to hide the mischievous grin he's giving in response to the sight of her flushed face. Already impatient to get to the next part of this little game, she narrows her eyes and bites her lower lip in the most seductive look she can muster. His eyes widen, and then his grin follows suit as his fingers abruptly shift actions. She damn near loses her composure as she feels them slide into her with ease, bringing the fire where she needs it most. It's a start, but it's not exactly what she's looking for... and he knows it._

"_Luffyyy... stop teasing..."_

"_Huh?" That voice. That infuriating voice of feigned innocence. Or, at least, she _thinks _it's feigned. "Whaddaya mean?"_

_She's acutely aware of how the sweat is running down her glistening body, of how her hips are trying to move to his fingers' rhythm, of how anyone could walk down here any minute. All his fault. _

_Her eyes narrow into a more annoyed look. "Stop it, baka, you know what I- AH-!"_

_She quickly bites her lip in a half-failed attempt to stifle herself as he extends a rubber finger and gently hooks it into a spot she wasn't prepared for. Yeah, he was feigning, all right. The bastard._

_She fixes his smug look of innocence with a venomous stare. "Dammit, stop playing around, they could come here an-"_

"_Sorry, what'd ya say?" A second finger inexplicably stretches. Her now-trembling body collapses. "Try again, just tell me what you want, silly!"_

"_I... dammit, you know what I want, just STOP-"_

_His fingers shift. She slaps a hand over her mouth and squirms. "How could I know?" he asks. "You're not telling me."_

_She lifts her head, grabs his hair, and yanks his head over to her face, forcing his neck to stretch. She hisses in his ear:_

"_You. Inside me. NOW."_

_His maddening grin answers her as his head snaps back to its normal position. "Okay!"_

_And he obliges. Ohhh, does he ever oblige. He fills her like no man ever has... or probably ever _could_. His size comes with the usual discomfort, but she finds herself getting over it rather quickly as his movements increase in speed and depth. Her legs are wrapped around him, her feet digging into the small of his slippery back. His hands are on her breasts for leverage, and his grip is none too gentle. Her mouth is slightly ajar, her moans kept deliberately soft but still audible. Her eyes are partially open and facing her lover without really seeing him, blinded by a blur of seething ecstasy. He turns her to the side a bit, and she finds him propping one of her legs up against his shoulder, his hand gripping her foot as he continues. This is incredible, she doesn't even care if someone catches them, she'll just kick them out and tell them to come back later, can't you see we're a little busy right now... All dignity and comprehensible thought goes out the window as she reaches down and rubs herself vigorously to his rhythm, getting closer and closer to the climax... And there it is, oh god, sparks fly and toes curl as she quickly stifles her long, loud vocalization of release with a nearby pillow as if trying to suffocate herself, but he isn't done, he doesn't even slow down, she might pass out, but she doesn't care, she urges him on with a gasped "Yes, yes!" as he violently rocks her nearly limp body, she suddenly realizes there are tears in her eyes-_

Nami's eyes shot wide open in a room of complete darkness, her bedroom completely void of any light source as per usual. Her first thought was that her heart had just woke her up and was still in the middle of trying its hardest to escape from her ribcage. Wild-eyed and out of breath, she clutched her chest as she stared at the ceiling without really seeing it, not unlike what she had just been doing during her act of delicious sin in Dream World. She dipped her hand under her bedspread, and the fingers came back wet. Slowly, she brought her other hand to her eyes and pulled it away to look at it... and the result of that, too, was wetness.

Nami brought the latter hand back to her eyes and covered them before slowly running it down her face, stopping at her mouth and heaving a sigh into it. God, she was a mess.

She took note of her sweatiness and dry throat, as well as the not-unpleasant heat between her legs. She reached down again and felt tingles run up her spine as her two fingers gingerly came into contact, but then she thought of the tears and how thirsty she was, and her feeling of need started to dissipate. A little trip to the bathroom for some water would calm her and take care of that throat, and then maybe she could fall back asleep. Maybe.

She slowly got out of bed and slipped into her robe, sighing again as she did so. This definitely wasn't the first dream of that nature she had experienced. While certainly more pleasant than the darker dreams she more often had of the past, they were still slightly disturbing in their own way. Despite having experienced such dreams on numerous occasions, she couldn't remember ever having woken up in the middle of one sobbing before. Nor could she remember such a dream ever being so... _vivid_. Perhaps it was her poor libido growing even more frustrated with her than usual; she hadn't so much as _looked_ at a man in that way since the Straw Hat Crew's glory days.

Reflecting on it, Nami realized that the particular night she had just dreamed about seemed to be more recurring than others... Why was that? And why was it so clear tonight? An idea struck her, one that seemed crazy yet plausible.

Maybe that was the night they had conceived their one and only child.

Nami reached the bathroom now and instinctively glanced at the mirror over the sink. Her hair was a tangled mess and her eyes were slightly red and puffy. She shook her head and looked away while filling a glass from the faucet. After downing several cupfuls _(Just how much did I _sweat _in there?)_ and giving herself a quick wash, she dragged her feet back to bed, not bothering to stifle the large yawn that hit her on the way. "Guess that did the trick," she mumbled to herself.

She reached the bed and let her robe hit the floor, not bothering to hang it back up; that could wait until morning. As she settled under the covers, her mind inevitably drifted back to that dream. She turned onto her other side and heaved a big sigh. She missed him so badly. She missed those crazy encounters right under the feet of their crewmates as if begging to be caught.

With that train of thought, she was still awake more than a half hour later, and the need was back. She supposed it had never really gone away; it was bound to happen the moment her brain decided to enter that particular sleeping fantasy of the past, and her body wasn't going to let her rest until it was done. With one hand on her chest and the other down and center, her teeth biting down on the bed sheet to prevent any noise, it didn't take long to finish. As always, a wave of exhaustion overtook her almost immediately afterwards; she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Cocoyashi High was the school that served the area of the Conomi Islands that its namesake resided in. It was small as it didn't take much to accommodate all of the teenage youth that lived in the three villages around it. The simple two-story stone building was pleasantly illuminated by the morning sun as Sabo approached on foot. He looked upon it as he walked and found a smile crossing his face. He didn't much care for coming to this place everyday, but today was a special day. What he hoped to be the beginnings of his crew attended classes here as well.

As he walked through the front doors, someone slapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see a gangly kid with brown hair he recognized as Sammy. He and Sabo had been going to school together since Pre-K... but that was the case for almost all of the students there, so that wasn't saying much.

"You awake, bro?" This was Sammy's typical line on Monday mornings.

Sabo turned and gave him a return slap on the back. "As awake as I'll ever be, I guess," he replied. _'Hmm, this guy can't be a candidate...' _he thought._ 'He wouldn't be much in a fight.'_

After explaining to his classmate that he had been absent because of a funeral, they separated to walk to their respective lockers. Sabo already had one member in mind. She would be his first mate, and with her abilities, the crew couldn't be in better hands.

* * *

"No."

Sabo stared at her, mouth agape in shock. "W-What? But... but Meiki, I need you...!"

Meikala looked up at him from her kneeling position in front of her locker. Her jagged crimson bangs hung in front of one eye as they always did, the rest of her hair tied back into a big haphazard spiky ponytail that reached the middle of her back. She fixed him with her usual bored-looking gaze. Her green eyes always seemed to be half-lidded with constant disinterest of the world around her. Whether frowning (as she was now) or giving a rare smile, the seriousness pretty much never left that face, and the eyes never seemed to open all the way.

"For what? To join you on your teenage rebellious run-away-from-home phase? No thanks." She turned back to her locker contents, taking out a couple more books.

"Oh, come on, that hurts! Would you at least listen to the whole story?"

She stood up, closed her locker, and started walking down the hall, Sabo scrambling along behind her. "I dunno, kid. It would have to be a pretty good story to make me leave the place we were born and raised to go get killed as outlaws on the open sea."

"I... I didn't even tell you the reason for this yet! I was just asking if you wanted to join my crew! You, of all people, I was expecting, like, an instant yes from! And don't call me kid!"

Meiki glanced over her shoulder at him. "Awkward sentences aside, that was foolish of you to expect." And then she turned down a different hallway to get to her class. He watched her go with a semi-dumbfounded look on his face. There was hardly a single childhood misadventure he had ever taken on without her. They had been best friends since toddlerhood, always together through thick and thin. What was with this reaction?

'_She didn't even stop to hear the reason for it... Well, whatever, she'll come once she knows.'_

With so much on his mind, English and History went by pretty quickly for the preoccupied student. These were normally his favorite snoozing periods, but there was no exhaustion in him today. Third period came around with the promise of further lessons in the art of Chemistry, but the periodic table was the last thing on his mind as he took his usual seat beside his freckled female classmate, Shira.

Sabo was staring in the teacher's general direction while she was lecturing, lost in his thoughts, when the girl next to him slid him a note in her usual fashion. He didn't notice until she kicked him under the two-person lab table. He jumped a little and, without even glancing at her first, took her note and read it on his lap.

"hey u look lost in space. whats up?"

He blinked at it, not really registering what it said for a moment, and then he finally read it and considered. Should he tell her about it? She was a very talented and nimble dancer, and he knew she had taken some form of martial arts lessons when she was younger. She might actually be a good addition to the crew.

The problem was... well, the situation between them was admittedly a little strange.

Sabo couldn't remember specifically who liked who first. He was pretty sure he had had a kiddy crush on her in second grade, but he couldn't be sure if she had felt the same so early. The possibility was there, though. Either way, it hadn't been long until he had gotten over her... and it had become common knowledge throughout their small school that she had liked _him_. Eventually, the rumor had morphed into mutual love, but the two had never said a single word of this to each other. Then it had changed _again_ as her sights set on a new boy and he, Sabo, was still set on her. It had then become mutual again soon enough, and then _he_ was the one who had lost interest while Shira had still liked him.

The scariest part was how close to the truth all of those rumors had been. And through all of it, even to this day, neither party had ever spoken a single word to each other about that particular subject.

Since high school started, though, fellow students generally stopped caring so much about their relationship that never came to be as they all started developing their own. Sabo had yet to get himself a girlfriend while Shira, supposedly over all that childhood nonsense, had been in a relationship for almost a year now. Sabo didn't really care anymore (he did at first, quite a lot, actually), but he was getting the old hints from her that she was the one stuck on him again. The two of them might have changed a bit with age, but certain things simply _never_ change, and he had gotten used to telling when she was interested and when she was not. Steady boyfriend or not, he was pretty sure he was right.

But would he ever ask? Probably not. And would she ever admit it? Quite doubtful. Years later, it was still the same game, rationality be damned.

So anyway, let's return to the present and our hero's little note. Sabo regarded it for a moment and then turned his gaze to the teacher, pretending to pay attention to the lecture to buy time. His mind's response was _"Lie, make something up, she doesn't need to know." _Besides their on-and-off-again mutual interests, the pair didn't have much of a connection. They were friends, yes, but Sabo could say that about quite a few of his fellow students; that didn't mean he was keen on inviting them all.

However, her physical capabilities were difficult to ignore. As he had already pointed out to himself, her potential level of combat ability would be a welcome addition indeed. Besides, the more people he could get to agree on this crazy adventure, the better case he would have to present to his mother. If he really believed that he shouldn't take some of his recruits in the end, he could just tell them "Sorry, changed my mind, you gotta stay home" right before leaving.

_'Well... let's see what she says.'_

Sabo scribbled a reply below the original message and passed it back as the teacher added more textbook information onto the chalkboard. Shira quickly placed it on her notebook, pretending to write notes as the teacher turned. Sabo glanced at her. Her eyes widened as they strayed on the note. It wasn't long until she quickly wrote something and slipped it to him.

"after class"

Sabo blinked. He wished she had given him at least some sort of hint as to what her answer would be, but whatever; class wouldn't take long.

The bell rang precisely at its scheduled time thirty-two minutes later. The pair packed their things, stood up, and left the classroom simultaneously without even a glance at each other. Once they were out in the hall and they had moved away from the main group of students milling down the hall, she instantly stopped and turned to face him, abruptly grasping one of his hands with both of her own. Their eyes finally met, and she had quite an urgent look on her face.

"What is this about, Sabo-kun? What do you mean, forming a pirate crew?"

His eyes unconsciously flicked down to their hands for a moment. They returned to her gaze as he answered. "It's... uh... well, I guess it's a long story."

"Tell it to me! I don't care about being late!"

Sabo removed his hand from her grip and scratched his head with it, looking away from her a bit as he did so. "Well, I do. I don't want you to get in troub-"

Shira quickly grasped his other hand, making his gaze snap back to her in surprise. "Who _cares_ about getting into trouble if I'm about to disappear with you on a pirate ship?" Her eyes shone with determination and resolve. She was serious about this.

A smile appeared on Sabo's face. Shira hadn't even waited to hear the story and she was already dead set on accompanying him. Romantic intentions or not, it was now clear to him that she held their friendship in a higher regard than he had previously believed. His smile grew at this thought, and he enveloped her in a sudden hug.

"Wh-Wha...? !"

"Thanks, Specks." He let her go, a warm smile still on his face. "Didn't think you'd be so eager."

Shira's face flushed at the nickname referencing her freckles, a nickname he had not used in years. She then remembered his own, born from his old childhood love for dinosaurs. She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "No problem, Rex." And, of course, it also rhymed.

"Well, listen," Sabo said, stepping away from her, "I'll tell you the rest after school, okay?"

She smiled. "You're gonna walk me home?"

He scratched his head and looked away again. "Isn't that your boyfriend's job?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Oh shut up and meet me out front."

He laughed. "At the flagpole, got it." He then turned and moved on to the next class, his newest and first crewmate following suit.

* * *

"FFFFFFOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDD!"

It was lunch period for Sabo, and he was hungry and on his way to the small school cafeteria to fix that. He quickly turned toward the crazed voice. Its owner was the school's biggest sports star, Ludwig. His long, bright blond hair swayed crazily as he made a mad dash for the cafeteria entrance. Sabo quickly sidestepped his blind charge and watched as he bowled over some of the less fortunate kids in his path. Two teachers came out of what appeared to be nowhere and hit him with simultaneous flying tackles, bringing the supposedly starved beast down with their combined might.

"GUAHHH!" he cried, struggling under the weight of the two adults upon him. Sabo watched for a moment, sweatdropped, and then continued to enter the lunch line, leaving a few laughing spectators behind.

Food now acquired, the young pirate-to-be sat at an empty table. Being a small school, there weren't many students in each lunch period and the tables weren't very big; each had enough space to seat four. It wasn't long until a big blonde guy sat down heavily and with a grunt in the chair next to Sabo's, sounding out of breath as he began to eat noisily. Sabo didn't even look up; it was obvious it was Ludwig. The two often sat together at lunch, but their friendship never really left the lunchroom. One was heavily into sports, and the other was not. That left little in common between the two.

"Man, they really got me good that time, huh, Sabo?" Ludwig said, mouth full of food.

Sabo glanced at him, then calmly continued eating. "Yeah, that was a nice double tackle."

The tall sports star rocked his chair back and forth, letting out a big "WHOOOP!" with a fist raised in the air. A few startled people looked around, but Sabo, quite accustomed to his energetic outbursts, didn't even flinch. "You're sure right about that, Sabo! Man, really makes me wanna get back on the field!"

Sabo took another bite of his salad. "Yo, wanna be a pirate with me?" he asked, his tone of voice as casual and offhand as if he had just asked for a game of catch after school.

Ludwig gaped at him for a moment, and then he burst out laughing. "FWAHAHAHA, MAAAAN, ARE YOU SERIOUS? Wanna be like your mom, huh! You're on!"

Sabo tried to hide a smile. This kid was so simple-minded, it was impossible to not be friends with him. Besides which, Ludwig's physical prowess would obviously come in handy, and his father happened to be a seasoned sailor. Ludwig may have seemed a little lacking in the brains department, but there was no doubt he knew what it was to be on a boat for an extended period of time. This was certainly more than Sabo could say about more level-headed people such as Shira and Meiki, and perhaps even himself; despite his mother's background, she was rarely found out at sea, and so he actually didn't have much experience in that area.

"All right, cool," Sabo said. "I'll give you more details tomorrow."

Much to everyone's usual dissatisfaction, lunch ended soon after and classes resumed. However, it wasn't long until the entire day came to an end and Sabo found himself at his locker. Shira and Ludwig were good additions, but... he really needed Meiki. He had to find her before he went home. With this in mind, he took his stuff out of his locker as fast as he could and then rushed out to the front of the school. He stood a few feet from the doors, turning his head to both sides, searching the grassy school grounds for his childhood friend. At the center was a flagpole standing tall and bearing the East Blue flag and the flag of the Conomi Islands beneath it. A large white stone sat next to the pole, gleaming in the sun. On most days with nice weather, one would typically find multiple students sitting on this rock to hang out and chat a bit before heading home or back into the school for sports or clubs. However, there was only one person there right now; it was Shira. He gave her a blank stare for a moment and blinked. He had somehow forgotten about their plan to meet up. He shrugged and walked up to her.

"Jeez, you got here fast," he said once he reached her.

The brunette smiled up at him. "Yeah, wanted to make sure you didn't forget." Her smile disappeared and her eyes narrowed. "You _did _forget, didn't you?"

Sabo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ahaha... my mind's a bit preoccupied..."

Her eyes softened. "Yeah... I bet. This is pretty serious stuff you're planning." She stood up and gestured. "Well, walk me home? We can talk on the way."

Shira's house was in Gosa Village, the opposite direction of Sabo's home, so they headed off in that direction. They soon found themselves on a wide dirt path leading to Shira's neighborhood, pleasantly lit by sun rays filtering through the leaves and branches of the many surrounding trees. Sabo figured he would just find Meiki once he was done with Shira; she lived close to his house, after all. Fallen leaves of various yellow and orange hues crunched beneath their feet as they walked in silence for a bit, Sabo attempting to gather up his thoughts and decide on the best way to start. Shira waited patiently, keeping stride alongside him in the same slow pace.

Sabo finally decided to start from the very beginning. He told her about how he had started training under Jinbe at a young age, something few people knew. As Sabo expected, she asked how a human could possibly learn Fishman Karate. He told her with a slight smile that he was sure she would find out for herself at some point during their journey. He also told her about how his mother had been training him in Haki use and mastery, something Luffy had begun doing for her all those years ago and she had later mastered on her own.

Sabo then continued to tell Shira about his nightmares and how Nami had been somewhat avoiding discussing them. His face turned down toward the ground as he described them. Shira gripped his hand as he talked. Talking about them in detail like this felt strange to Sabo. He had talked to Meiki about them before, but he had yet to fully describe them.

"Do you think they're... memories?" Shira asked, looking up at her friend.

Sabo shrugged. "Since Mom won't really talk about it, and I don't wanna push a painful subject, I don't really know if I was born yet when... well, when their journey ended." His gaze didn't match hers; it found its way up to the sky instead. "They are so vivid sometimes, it makes it hard to doubt that they really happened. But if I hadn't been born yet... or even if I was an infant... how could I possibly remember anything? And why are the dreams never from a third-person point of view?"

His eyes went back down to the ground at that point and Shira squeezed his hand. "We'll make it part of our quest." When he looked at her in slight surprise, she continued. "The answers to your dreams. If Nami-san won't say them, maybe we can find them on our own."

He smiled at the encouraging words, despite how unlikely it seemed that such a thing could occur. He placed both hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers. "Yeah."

Sabo's story then moved on to the recent funeral of Silvers Rayleigh and his unexpected, extraordinary inheritance. To his amusement, he correctly predicted her reaction again.

"W-wow, how much is...? My _god_..."

He chuckled at her wide-eyed, open-mouthed gaze. "Not sure yet, Mom is getting some appraisers to come look at it all soon. It'll be quite a job! It took me and Franky forever to get it all in the basement."

Shira's face took on a pouty expression as she turned her head to face the front again. Sabo laughed again. "Hey, come on, what's wrong?"

"I wish cool stuff like that could happen to me, too." Her sullen tone of voice held a hint of playfulness.

He clapped her gently on the shoulder. "Oh, and getting invited to become a pirate under the world's future best captain isn't cool?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure of yourself, are you?"

Her companion shrugged. "Considering who trained me... and whose son I am... I think I have a pretty good chance."

She smiled a bit at that, and then he continued with the story. He told her about Buggy... and then about the _real _treasure hidden among all the gold and jewels.

"Here..." Sabo removed a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket. Its yellow tone spoke of its age. He carefully unfolded it and handed it to his friend. "It's probably better if you just see it for yourself."

Shira took it with care and read it with increasingly wondering eyes. Once she had finished, her eyes were quite wide indeed and she had a hand over her mouth. She stopped walking and looked up at him. "S.. Sabo-kun.."

Sabo stopped as well, returning her gaze with a somber one of his own. Without another word, he found himself in her embrace. It was a while before they parted. His friend stepped back, hurriedly wiping a tear from her eye. "That..." she said softly, "...must've been a bit hard to read."

The boy simply nodded and continued walking. She followed close behind.

"Do you... know where..."

"Shakky-san said that as far as anyone knows, Law has it."

He didn't turn to see her reaction. Her silence, however, had an apprehensive feeling to it. Noticing this, he stopped walking and turned around anyway. "Hey, look, don't feel that you have-"

"Shut up and keep walking," she told him as she walked past him. She looked over her shoulder to see him watching her with a mixed expression of exasperation and gratitude on his face. She gave him a kind smile, and it struck him just how much the two of them had... well... _grown up _over the years. Her smile was very pretty on her somewhat plain, lightly freckled face. Her freckles had seemed to fade as she aged. His childhood friend looked quite mature all of a sudden as she looked at him beneath the falling autumn leaves.

"Come on, Captain, pick up the pace, we're almost there."

* * *

The setting sun set orange and purple fire to the skies above Sabo as he continued his search for Meiki. At her house, her mother, after shoving at least 5 different kinds of cookies into the protesting boy's hands, kindly informed him that she was at the dojo at the edge of the island. The dojo Meiki frequented was now coming into view as the sea breeze grew stronger, whipping thin strands of Sabo's orange hair all about. He futilely swiped some of the windswept bangs out of his eyes as he knocked twice on the front door and let himself in as usual. Once inside, there were two open doorways on either side and a set of traditional shoji doors ahead. He slid open the shoji door a bit to poke his head in. A quick look at the class going on in the main area of the dojo told him that Meiki was not there. He quietly closed the door and turned left, winding the familiar way through the small building to the back door.

Beach lay directly behind the dojo, and he finally spotted Meiki. She was barefoot in the sand, wielding a bokuto and executing sharp blows upon a training dummy. She ceased only when Sabo was within a few feet of her and had stopped to watch with arms crossed. She abruptly faced the ocean and sat down cross-legged, shoving the bokuto point-down into the sand. Her friend sat down facing her side as she wiped sweat from her brow and took a drink from a nearby water bottle. The sun setting behind them on the opposite end of the island cast a faint colorful glow upon the sweaty upper half of her body, covered in nothing but copious amounts of white tape binding her chest. For the lower half, she wore the same dark blue hakama the men of her dojo would typically wear.

Sabo tentatively looked his friend up and down. "Look at you, all sweaty," he said in a slightly playful tone. "It's not often I see you actually working hard."

"It's not often you actually come interrupt my training sessions," she pointed out in her usual dry voice, forever sounding about as bored as she looked. She kept her eyes on the vast sea before them as she took another sip of water.

Sabo nodded slowly and turned his head to follow her gaze. "Good point, good point..." He watched the waves in silence for a moment before turning his eyes down to the sand at his feet, his hand idly fiddling with it. The atmosphere was starting to seem a bit awkward to him, but then Meiki broke the silence.

"Well, you know, I would obviously be training a little extra hard," she said. "I'm wondering why _you're _not. Is Jinbe-san not around?"

The young would-be captain looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean, 'obviously'? How so?" He thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to make sure.

The swordswoman gave him a sardonic smile. "It's that playing-dumb routine of yours that makes you so _adorable_." She reached over and patted the top his head, causing thin orange bangs to slightly cover his scowling face.

"So what was with that reaction in the school?" he demanded, swiping the hair out of his eyes.

She shrugged, taking another sip of water. "It's kind of funny you took me seriously... but I guess I'd be lying if I didn't say I was at least part serious." Her gaze grew a bit more intent. "I wanted to give you a different way to look at this. I could tell how serious about it you were, and of course I'd help you no matter what, but I guess I was kind of trying to give you time to think it through a little better."

"You wanted me to change my mind...?"

"Not exactly. I'm behind you all the way no matter what you do. But I don't want my fearless leader to be rushing things in the beginning here, because I'm sure we'll be doing a lot more rushing and a lot less thinking once we're out at sea, fighting for our lives."

He stared at her for a moment. "Are you worried? I mean..." He looked down and hit the sand with a clenched fist. "Damn... I'm putting uninvolved people in danger. How sel-"

"Hush," she interrupted, turning her gaze back to the dark waves. "You're not selfish. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd be more than willing to help."

Sabo gave her a lopsided grin. He _had _been silly, he conceded, to truly believe that she wouldn't help him. _'Still,' _he thought, feeling slightly irritated nonetheless, _'she _is _good at being difficult when she wants to be...'_

* * *

The sun had long since finished making its daily trip to its resting place beneath the horizon by the time Sabo finally arrived at his front door. He and Meiki had discussed how to get started at some length; they had decided that the most important priority would be finding a suitable navigator. He heaved a sigh before opening the door and entering. He noticed himself subconsciously opening and closing the door as softly as he could, as if attempting to come in undetected. He mentally shook himself, trying to shed his nervousness. What his mother would say did not matter. This was a decision he had made for himself, and he was plenty old enough to make it.

The distressed youth had hardly entered the living room when his mother made her entrance, wooden spoon in hand and apron tied loosely around the small of her back. Even in the full light of the room, her hair was noticeably a bit duller than her son's. Her wavy locks, normally hanging down to just below the middle of her back, were now tied back in a ponytail in preparation of cooking today's dinner. A few loose strands framed her stern, scowling face. Sabo couldn't help but flinch a bit at the sight of it.

"What the hell?" she said. "Explain."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah.. I was at Meiki's dojo. Had to talk to her about..." Now? Say it now?

Nami's eyes narrowed. "About?"

"...Stuff," he finished lamely.

Her gaze was almost suspicious as she pointed in the direction of the kitchen with her spoon. "Wash up, set up," she told him crisply. He followed her into the kitchen.

The tiles and the wallpaper of the gleaming kitchen had a light orange theme about them. The familiar scent of spices, cooking meat, and fresh citrus filled his nostrils, and he felt a bit calmer. It wasn't long before he had the table set and she had the steaming meat and vegetables before them as they sat.

The two ate in silence for a few moments before Nami broke the silence. "You know," she began, swallowing a piece of pot roast, "I don't mind you hanging with Meiki until later. Just let me know in the future, all right?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "And I'll make sure with her that you're telling the truth. At least I know _one _of you is dependably honest."

Sabo didn't have the heart to tell her that there had been many times in the past where the two of them had avoided trouble by Meiki lying to her. They had grown up with Nami not suspecting nearly as much mischief as the two would actually get into. Instead, he cleared his throat and placed his silverware back down on the table, his food unfinished. He stared down at his plate for a moment, wondering for the last time if this was the right thing to do. He looked up into his mother's questioning face, his face set.

"Mom, I have something I want to tell you."

**Please review if you have taken the time to read this! Let me know why you do or do not like this! Thank you!**

**For those who like my other on-going story, A Year To Remember, I am restarting work on that, too, so please look forward to it!**


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